Tip holder for aerosol dispensing containers

ABSTRACT

A tip holder mountable on an aerosol dispensing container wherein the tip holder has a plurality of spraying dispensing tip holders for frictionally and releasably holding spare spraying dispensing tips.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the aerosol dispensing art and more particularly to a holder that may be associated with the aerosol dispensing container and which holder has a plurality of structures for releasably holding spare spraying dispensing tips.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In the field of aerosol dispensing containers, the container generally comprises a rigid outer can and the fluid contents of the container are under pressure in the outer can. The fluid contents are dispensed from the outer can to regions external the container through a spraying dispensing tip. The spraying dispensing tip is generally detachably mounted on the container so that the spraying dispensing tip may be periodically removed from the container for cleaning or other maintenance purposes. Many materials have heretofore been dispensed from such aerosol dispensing containers. However, the properties of many of the materials so dispensed have often so clogged the spraying dispensing tip that it is inoperable and cleaning thereof to allow further operation is required. Some of the fluid contents of an aerosol dispensing containers have so clogged the spraying dispensing tip that such cleaning thereof is difficult and sometimes not possible. In such applications, if the spraying dispensing tip member becomes inoperable, the remaining fluid contents of the container cannot be dispensed through the clogged spraying dispensing tip and are thus wasted unless a replacement spraying dispensing tip can be installed. In the past, there has not been a readily available spare spraying dispensing tip which can easily and readily be installed in place of the clogged or otherwise inoperable spraying dispensing tip.

The aerosol dispensing containers generally have an outer can and a covering cap structure having a top member and two concentrically aligned tubular cylindrical portions downwardly depending from the top member and defining an outer cap member and an inner cap member with a toroidal volume therebetween. The downwardly depending outer cap member and downwardly depending inner cap members of the covering cap are generally configured as thin walled cylindrical tubing like members. The thin walled outer cap member fits over the top of the container can and frictionally and removably engages the outside surface of the can. The thin walled inner cap member fits over the spraying dispensing tip member leaving the toroidal volume between the inner cap member and the outer cap member. Thus, the toroidal volume provides one location in which spare spraying dispensing tips may be conveniently stored since the covering cap is removed during the dispensing operation of the aerosol dispensing container and therefore spare spraying dispensing tips in the toroidal volume would not interfere with the normal operation of the aerosol dispensing container in dispensing the fluid.

Thus, it has long been desired to have available on an aerosol dispensing container one or more replacement spraying dispensing tips which may be conveniently utilized to replace a clogged spraying dispensing tip and thus avoid the waste of unused materials in the container.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a spare tip holder structure which may be associated on or with the aerosol dispensing containers and which spare tip holding structure has the provisions for releasably holding one or more spare spraying dispensing tips for the aerosol dispensing container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above and other objects of the present invention a re achieved, in a preferred embodiment thereof by providing a spare tip holder having an outer rim portion and at least one spraying dispensing tip holding member coupled thereto. Preferably, in this first embodiment there are a plurality of spraying dispensing tip holding members coupled to the outer rim portion. In this embodiment, the outer rim portion is frictionally and removably held in the cap on the inner surface of the outer cap member and the spraying dispensing tip holders are positioned inwardly toward the inner cap member in the toroidal space between the inner cap member and the outer cap member. Each spraying dispensing tip holder may be generally tubular and have an inner dimension that closely matches the outer dimension of a selected portion of a spraying dispensing tip so that the spraying dispensing tips are removably held in the spraying dispensing tip holders.

It is important that the spraying dispensing tip holder be sized and constructed of such a material such that it does not distort the cap structure with repeated insertions and removals and yet be sized to allow rapid removal and reinsertion. Also, the spraying dispensing tip holder must not interfere with the desired protective function of the cap structure on the aerosol dispensing container. The spraying dispensing tip holders may be complete tubing members or “split” tubing members and, since most of the spraying dispensing tips are cylindrical, the spraying dispensing tip holders are configured as cylindrical tubing members to match the outer configuration of the spraying dispensing tips. In other applications wherein the spraying dispensing tips are other than cylindrical, the spraying dispensing tip holders may also be configured other than cylindrical.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The above and other embodiments of the present invention my be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken together with the accompanying drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar elements throughout and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the present invention

FIGS. 4 a and 4 b show an embodiment of the present invention with spraying dispensing tips in place in the spraying dispensing tip holders;

FIGS. 5 a, 5 b, 5 c and 5 d show the detailed dimensions for the embodiment shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the present invention; and,

FIGS. 7 a, 7 b, 7 c and 7 d show another embodiment of the present invention similar to

FIGS. 5 a, 5 b, 5 c and 5 d and showing the detailed dimensions for this embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown an embodiment 10 of a spare tip holder 11 of the present invention. The spare tip holder 11 has an outer rim 12 and a plurality of spraying dispensing tip holders 14 attached thereto and extending inwardly from the outer rim 12. Each of the spraying dispensing tip holders 14 is cylindrical and tubular and has walls defining a spraying dispensing tip holding space 16 therein. The walls defining the spraying dispensing tip holders may form a complete cylinder as shown on FIG. 1 or only a portion of a cylinder as shown on FIG. 6 depending on the requirements of a particular application. A spraying dispensing tip may be inserted in the spraying dispensing tip holder spaces 16 as described below to be frictionally and removably held therein. In the embodiment 10, the outer surface 18 of the outer rim 12 is sized and adapted to frictionally and removably fit on the inner surface of the outer cap member of the aerosol dispensing container covering cap as described below.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment 15 of the present invention in which there is a spare tip holder 11′ generally similar to the spare tip holder 11 of FIG. 1 and having a plurality of spraying dispensing tip holders 14′ each having a spraying dispensing tip holder space 16′. The outer rim 18′ of the spare tip holder 11′ has an outer surface 18′a adapted to frictionally and removably fit on the inner surface 24 of the outer cap member 25 of a cap structure 20 and the inner edge 14 a of the spraying dispensing tip holders 14′ frictionally and removably bear against the outer surface 28 of an inner cap member 30 as indicated at 29. The outer cap member 25 and the inner cap member 30 are dependent from the top member 32 of the covering cap 20. The spare tip holder 11′ may be axially positioned at any desired location on the cap structure 20 from regions adjacent to or abutting the inner surface of the top member 32 to the to the inner edge 38 of the inner cap member 28 so that the spraying dispensing tip holders 14′ are in the toroidal volume 34 between the inner cap member 28 and the outer cap member 20. The spraying dispensing tip holders 14′ are complete cylindrical tubing members in embodiment 15.

FIG. 3 shows a sectional perspective view of an embodiment 39 of a spare tip holder 11″ generally similar to the spare tip holders 11 and 11′ described above mounted on cap structure 20′ generally similar to the cap structure 20 of FIG. 2. The spraying dispensing tip holders 14″ of the spare tip holder 11″ are “split” as indicated at 40 to allow for greater retention forces on spraying dispensing tips that are to be inserted therein.

FIGS. 4 a and 4 b show an embodiment 49 of a spare tip holder 50 generally similar to the spare tip holder 11 shown in FIG. 1. As shown on FIGS. 4 a and 4 b there is a spraying dispensing tip 52 removably mounted in each of the spraying dispensing tip holders 54 for removable frictional between adjacent spraying dispensing tip holders. Such reinforcing members may be utilized on any of the other embodiment of the present invention as may be desired for particular applications whether the tip holders are complete tubular members, as shown for example in FIG. 1 or only partial tubular members as shown for example in FIG. 6.

In another embodiment the spare tip holder 72 may be removably mounted on the exterior surface of the aerosol dispensing container can or covering cap and retained thereon by frictional fit with the external surface of the can or cap in a manner as shown on FIGS. 4 a and 4 b.

In another embodiment of the present invention, an inner rim of a spare holder may be provided on the spare tip holder. The inner rim frictionally engages the outer surface of the inner cap member and the spraying dispensing tip holders extend outwardly therefrom toward the inner surface of the outer cap member.

In the embodiments of the present invention the rim portions are generally circular about a centerline extending perpendicular to the plane of the rim. The spraying dispensing tip holders may extend inwardly from the rim toward the centerline or outwardly from the rim away from the centerline. Further as may be desired for certain applications, a reinforcing member may extend between adjacent spraying dispensing tip holders in regions spaced from the rim.

If desired, in other embodiments of the present invention, the spraying dispensing tip holders may be molded or otherwise unitarily fabricated as part of the cap portion of the aerosol dispensing containers, either on the inside or outside thereof, or as part of the aerosol dispensing container can itself.

Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the various Figures of the drawing, it should be understood that such embodiments are by way of example only and merely illustrative of but a small number of the many possible specific embodiments which can represent applications of the principles of the present invention. Various changes and modifications obvious to one skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and contemplation of the present invention as further defined in the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A spare tip holder mountable on an aerosol dispensing container comprising, in combination: a rim portion; at least one spraying dispensing tip holder mounted on said rim portion and extending therefrom, said at least one spraying dispensing tip holder having walls defining a generally tubular tip holder having a generally circular aperture therethrough and said aperture sized to have said walls releasably and frictionally retain a spraying dispensing tip therein.
 2. The arrangement defined in claim 1 wherein: said rim is generally planar and is circular about a centerline extending perpendicularly to the plane of the rim; said at least one spraying dispensing tip holder extends inwardly from said rim towards said centerline.
 3. The arrangement defined in claim 2 and further comprising: a plurality of said spraying dispensing tip holders mounted on said rim and extending inwardly therefrom from said rim towards said centerline.
 4. The arrangement defined in claim 1 and further comprising: said rim is generally planar and is circular about a centerline extending perpendicularly to the plane of the rim; a plurality of said spraying dispensing tip holders mounted on said rim and extending inwardly from said rim toward said centerline and the walls of at least some of said spraying dispensing tip holders are split.
 5. The arrangement defined in claim 3 and further comprising: a reinforcing member extending between adjacent spraying dispensing tip holders in regions spaced from said rim.
 6. The arrangement defined in claim 4 and further comprising: a reinforcing member extending between adjacent spraying dispensing tip holders in regions spaced from said rim.
 7. The arrangement defined in claim 3 wherein: the walls of each of said plurality spraying dispensing tip holders define a complete cylinder.
 8. The arrangement defined in claim 4 wherein: the walls of each of said spraying dispensing tip holders are split.
 9. The arrangement defined in claim 7 and further comprising: reinforcing members extending between adjacent spraying dispensing tip holders in regions spaced from said rim.
 10. The arrangement defined in claim 8 and further comprising: reinforcing member extending between adjacent spraying dispensing tip holders in regions spaced from said rim.
 11. The arrangement defined in claim 1 wherein: said rim is generally planar and is circular about a centerline extending perpendicularly to the plane of the rim; said at least one spraying dispensing tip holder extends outwardly from said rim away from said centerline.
 12. The arrangement defined in claim 11 and further comprising: a plurality of said spraying dispensing tip holders mounted on said rim and extending outwardly from said rim away from said centerline.
 13. The arrangement defined in claim 12 wherein: the walls of at least some of said spraying dispensing tip holders are split.
 14. The arrangement defined in claim 12 wherein: the walls of each of said spraying dispensing tip holders are split.
 15. The arrangement defined in claim 12 and further comprising: the walls of each of said plurality spraying dispensing tip holders define a complete cylinder.
 16. The arrangement defined in claim 15 and further comprising: a reinforcing member extending between adjacent spraying dispensing tip holders in regions spaced from said rim. 